My English World

Over the years, people have asked me how our expat life came about. I have had mixed reactions to my answers. "For heaven sake, how could you take your family and do that?" is what one woman said to me as she exclaimed that she would never allow her husband to even suggest it. I suddenly felt very sorry for her husband. Others would gladly pack their bags and be on the next plane out.

If presented the opportunity to move abroad, you have to think long and hard about what it means to you and your family. It is not a decision to make lightly and there is no right or wrong answer. It is a personal choice and sometimes you just have to hope you made the right one.

As expat assignments go I have to say we have been very fortunate. We have had two assignments in Sydney, Australia, one in Auckland, New Zealand and one in Surrey, England. I often think we should use the expat term loosely as we have never truly experienced an 'expat community' where we have had to live in a foreign speaking country. It has been easy for us to assimilate and carry on. The differences are marked but there have been very few hardships.

We are not done with this wanderlust lifestyle. Travelling is the easy part, raising children in the midst of it all is the more challenging aspect of an expat life. I say this with my #1 living in Australia, #2 living in New Zealand, #3 planning to go to college in America and #4 being the greatest challenge of all. He is 11 years old and we have to make plans. We will not be in England forever, in fact the winds of change, which I wrote about here, are blowing thru our life again. Timing is always the question, one year, 2-3 years..who knows. Life in the corporate world is like a game of Dominoes. Everything stands in perfect order until one falls over. You have to be ready to slide back in whenever and wherever is needed. There are three words that are spoken with regularity in our home 'wait and see'. As frustrating as that sounds, it's all you can do.

I knew what I was in for from the get go. When Mr. H. and I met, he was in graduate school studying International Affairs and I was putting a few notches on my belt whilst climbing the corporate ladder. We were both 27 years old. He had lived in various countries in Africa by then and I had managed a few short breaks overseas travelling the Club Med circuit. Our perspectives of the world were markedly different. He had recently returned from the Peace Corp in Africa having taught English and mastering the art of building chicken coops and I was strategising my next move within the arena of corporate politics. More on how we met here.

Love has it's way of working magic and within two years we married. On the day we married, we departed for a life in Sydney and so the story began. During the past 25 years we had a 10 year break back in America..the rest have been spent overseas. We have now spent more time overseas than in our home country which puts us in a very tricky situation. Where is home?

We have two homes, one in Sydney and one in Auckland...we wait. We obtained Australian citizenship along the way with intentions of retiring in Sydney. Funny thing about that word 'retire'...it seems to be elusive. I remember when it was 40, than 50, than 55 and now 60. We have regular conversations, Mr. H. and I, about the future, but they seem to end with those three little words 'wait and see'.

So hear I sit, that breeze is blowing thru our lives again and I have to wonder... when?....where?....how long? and then what?

I went along to a luncheon hosted by the New Zealand Women's Association
at New Zealand House in London yesterday. I attended as an member
of the Australian Women's Club. There I was, sitting in the middle of a table, a group
of New Zealander's to my left and a group of Australian's to my right and I thought life
could not get any better than this. The blend of accents and laughter was heartwarming.

I was an unknown to the New Zealand group and I am sure they wondered

who this woman was with the American accent and a smile that lasted the entire duration

of the luncheon. I felt if I had this name tag, perhaps it would have made it easier to understand:

Jeanne

American born, Australian

citizen, lived in New Zealand

and now living in England.

Future destination: Unknown

I started chatting to the woman seated next to me and she remarked how the world had changed since she was a young woman. I would say she was in her early 70's. She left New Zealand by boat in the 1960's to follow the man she loved. She said it was a difficult time in her life. I wish I had more time to learn more. She loves England and has made it her home. I gathered from our conversation that she was now on her own. She is an artist and her name is Lind Anso. Before I left she passed me a card to an upcoming exhibition featuring her work. I was delighted.

I asked about the painting and what inspired her to create it. Lind told me that she was visiting friends and watching on as they were preparing for a Halloween costume party. The man seated is having 'ghostly' makeup applied. She viewed the scene in a reflection from a mirror. If you happen to be in Lincoln from 21 March-3 April 2011 you can see Lind's work at Sam Scorer Gallery.

It was wonderful to meet Lind and other members of the group. We had spectacular views of the city in the Penthouse of New Zealand House and lunched on food prepared by each of the members. A raffle was held to raise money for the the Earthquake Appeal in Christchurch. Something close to my heart.

It was a New Zealand home style affair in the heart of London with a few Australians and me.

I have a few weaknesses...actually a lot of them, but one of them is recycled books. I can be in a massive rush to get somewhere but when I see this stand, filled with used books, at exceptionally low prices, I just have to stop. I feel like the deer who looks absentmindedly into oncoming car headlights. My eyes glaze over, my feet slow down and my mind switches into book alert.

Today I found two. I picked up The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery which I love. I am going to hold onto it for a friend and the other is Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. I have never read it or seen the movie! I can feel looks of surprise already :) You may wonder what my book cases at home look like with all these whimsical purchases. You don't want to know! I will say that I am very good at stacking.

About Me

Jeanne Henriques

Dear Reader...

I created this blog to help me find my way whilst living in England. I have since moved to Vietnam with the hopes that I will return one day. To that end, I will write here..to keep the connection going, until I am once again...Finding My Way in England.

In the meantime, I hope you find something here to inspire you as you find your own way around England...